Shoe-upper



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. R. PHILLIPS.

SHOE UPPER.

Patented Oct. 19, 1886.

N. PETERS. FhMO'Lfllmgmphcr, Washmgtun. l) c.

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. R. PHILLIPS.

SHOE UPPER. No. 351,066. Patented 001;. 19, 1886.

lint'rao STATES ATENT FFICE.

JAMES R. PHILLIPS, OF PLAINFIELD, NE? JERSEY.

SHOE-UPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming pan: of Letters Patent No. 351,066, dated October 19, 1886.

A pplicntion filed March 26, 1886. Serial No 106,627. (No mod 1.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, lures R. Pnrrmrs, of Ilainiield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Shoe-Uppcrs, of which the following is a specification.

Shoes have heretofore been made with the uppers cut out entire of one piece of leather from a special pattern or form. These shoes have, however, been made from leather of an entirely different pattern from mine, and did not correspond in the mode of manufacture.

Great difficulty has heretofore been experienced in forming the uppers of shoes of one piece of leather and crimping them upon the usual last ortree, because thepattern was such that it was difficult to cut out the leather to bring the strongest parts where there was the most strain and wear, and the grain of the leather interfered with the crimping and stretching of the leather in the proper manner.

In the efforts that haveheretofore been made to form the shoe-uppers in one piece difficulty has been experienced in stretching or crimping the leather, because the tacks made use of in holding the leather to the tree or last are preferably introduced close to the edge of the leather, so as not to injure the same; but with shoe-uppers adapted to the reception of buttons it is necessary to lap one end or edge of the leather over the other where the buttons and button-holes are to be provided, and the leather could not be attached to the last or tree with out some of the tacks passing through the leather at a considerable distance from the edge, and thereby injuring the same.

I make use of one piece of leather in forming the upper of the shoe, the vamp being in one with the upper or separate therefrom, the said uppers being cut of the pattern shown and in such a manner as to lap at the edges and receive the buttons and buttonholes; and in order to stretch or crimp the leather and allow for securing the edges of the same while the leather dries,I employ a compound tree or last, around the instep and back portion of which the leather is crimped, and to which one edge of the leather is tacked, the other edge being tacked to a movable clip-piece fitting over the instep portion.

By my improvement and the use of my special pattern I am enabled to effect asaving in the leather and to entirely dispense with vertical scams and to bring the lapping place upon one side of the instep, where it is the most convenient for the buttons and buttonholes, and in addition to this a saving is effected in the leather, because the under lap can generally be cut from theinferior portions around the edges of the skin without detriment to the shoe, and the button-holes will always come in the strongest portion of the leather.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view representing a shoe, the upper of which is formed of one piece only. :Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the shoe with the vamp sepa rate from the upper. Fig. 3 represents the shape in which the leather is cut out for forming the entire upper, as shown in Fig. 1, and the dotted line a represents the shape of the leather when a separate vamp is made use of, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side view representing the last or tree upon which the leather is stretched. Fig. 5 shows the movable ankle-section. Fig. 6 is a separate view of the clip-piece for receiving the second row of nails. Fig. 7 shows the leather upper as stretched upon the last, and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 7.

The leather is cut out of a shape corresponding generally to that shown in Fig. 3, the under lapping edge,A,nsually being at the edge of the skin where theleather is of inferior quality,in order to save stock. The edge B of the leather is to receive the button-holes, and the same is to be cut at the strongest and best portion of the leather, the edge e f extending off to the side of the shoe from the lower end of the flap, and in the finished shoe said edge is to be joined with the lower end of the under lap,A,by a line of sewing. This pattern isto be criinped upon the dotted lines a I) for the back of the shoe and upon the lines 0 d for the instep portion.

The last or tree D is of the proper shape for stretching or crimping the boot or shoe upper. At one side of the same,and corresponding to the outline B of the shoe-upper,there is an offset or shoulder, B, so that the workman in stretching or crimping the leather spreads the leather over the instep portion F of the last or tree, and tacks the edge B of the leather below the olTset or shoulder Bof the last,the heads of the tacks coming below the level of the shoulder, so that the leather, when stretched and brought around the back portion,H,of the last or tree, can be drawn above the shoulder'B, and the portion A of the leather that forms the under lap of the shoe when made up is stretched across outside the portion B of the leather, and its edges tacked upon the niovableclip-pieceK. This movable clip-piece K is curved to correspond generally to the instep portion of the last or tree D, and the said clippiece is channeled upon'its convex edge, so as to clip over and hold upon the front edge of the last or tree D, and it is sufficiently strong to receive the tacks that are drivenv through theedge ofthe under lap, A, to hold the same while the leather dries to its proper shape. By this means the lapping portions of the leather are firmly held without any injury to the leather itself by the pins or tacks,except at the very edges thereof, and these portions are usually cut off in trimming the edges of the upper to shapebefore limiting the same and connecting it to the other parts of the shoe.

The ankle portion of the shoe is to be made larger or smaller by the movable section 0,

(shown in Fig. 5,) which may be changed for one that is wider or narrower, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 7.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The pattern for a boot or shoe upper, formed of one piece of leather and crimped 011 the lines a b and c cZ,the portion 13 forming the button-hole flap, and the portion A extending along at the side of the foot and forming the under lap, the vamp portion having one free corner or angle extending outward just below the flap and on the same'side of the pattern to be joined to the under lap in the finished shoe, substantially as set forth.

2. The method herein specified of crimping a boot or shoe upperfconsisting in crimping the instep portion upon the dotted line a d and tacking the flap B of the leather pattern to the last, crimping the back portion upon the line av b, and applying the movable clippiece is over the instep portion of the last, and stretching and tacking the under lap portion, A, to the same, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 20th day of March, 1886.

, J. R. PHILLIPS. W'itnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, \VALLACE L. SERRELL. 

